The great founding figures of organized crime in the 20th century were born and bred in New York City, and the city was the basis of their operations. Beginning with Prohibition and going on through many illegal activities the mob became a major force and its tentacles reached into virtually every enterprise, whether legal or illegal: gambling, boxing, labor racketeering, stock fraud, illegal unions, prostitution, food service, garment manufacturing, construction, loan sharking, hijacking, extortion, trucking, drug dealing - you name it the mob controlled it. The men who organized crime in America were the sons of poor immigrants. They were hungry for success and would use whatever means available to achieve their goals. They were not interested in religious identity and ethnic identity. Their syndicate of criminals was made up, primarily of Italians and Jews, but also Irish and black gangsters who could further their ambitions. Their sole objective was always the same - money. It began with Arnold Rothstein, who not only helped to fix the 1919 World Series, but who also mentored and financed the individuals who would control organized crime for decades. Individuals such as Frank Costello, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, Joe Adonis, and Meyer Lansky, who would then follow suit setting up other criminal organizations. They established rules of governance, making millions of dollars for themselves and their cohorts. All the organized crime bosses and their cohorts had the same modus operandi: they were far-seeing opportunists who took advantage of every illegal opportunity that came their way for making money. Big Apple Gangsters: The Rise and Decline of the Mob in New York reveals just how influential the mob in New York City was during the 20th century. Jeffrey Sussman entertainingly digs into the origins of organized crime in the 20th century by looking at the corporate activity that dominated this one city and how these entrepreneurial bosses supported successful criminal enterprises in other cities. He also profiles many of the colorful gangsters who followed in the footsteps of gangland's original founders. Throughout the book Sussman provides fascinating portraits of a who's who of gangland. His narrative moves excitingly and entertainingly through the pivotal events and history of organized crime, explaining the birth, growth, maturation, and decline of various illegal enterprises in New York. He also profiles those who prosecuted the mob and won significant verdicts that ended many careers, responsible for bringing many organized crime figures to their knees and then delivering a series of coups de grace - such as Burton Turkus, Thomas Dewey, Robert Kennedy, and Rudolph Giuliani.
Jeffrey Sussman is the author of fourteen nonfiction books, as well as numerous articles and short stories about boxing. He is a regular writer for the premier boxing website www.boxing.com and the author of Max Baer and Barney Ross: Jewish Heroes of Boxing (2016) Rocky Graziano: Fists, Fame, and Fortune (2018); and Boxing and the Mob: The Notorious History of the Sweet Science (2019), all three published by Rowman & Littlefield. Sussman is the president of a public relations and marketing firm based in New York City. Visit his website at www.powerpublicity.com.
[Add] this one to your pile for bedtime reading. It is especially good for that purpose because, as Jeffrey Sussman avows in his introduction, each chapter is more or less a freestanding tale that can be read out of sequence, as there is overlap but not chronological continuity among them. [Sussman] treats us to many delicious details in the course of his telling.-- "East Hampton Star" [T]his book is an easy read and covers a lot of the 20th century history of organized crime figures in New York, as this is revealed through short biographical accounts.-- "Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books" A lurid, blood-soaked compendium of New York City's most notorious and deadly criminals. With colorful nicknames like Mr. Lucky, The Gorilla Boys, The Bull, The Chin, and The Grim Reaper, they ruled the New York City streets for a century with lethal efficiency.--Robert Mladinich, author of From the Mouth of the Monster: The Joel Rifkin Story; co-author of Case Files of the NYPD: More Than 175 Years of Solved and Unsolved Crimes As a teen my Uncle Mike Castellano, an associate of the Luchesse Family, informally introduced me to many Goodfellas. When I became a defense attorney I was known as, a friend of ours. Jeffrey Sussman has written an incredible account of the origins, rise, and slow demise of the Mafia Families.--Joseph Giannini, criminal defense attorney and author of Soft Targets: Stories from a Vietnam War Veteran Big Apple Gangsters is a fast-paced brilliant history of the men who created the national crime syndicate and ran New York for much of the 20th Century. It is the perfect book for anyone who wants to know the history of the mob and learn many facts that had previously remained unknown. Sussman's accounts of mobsters and their crimes will fascinate readers. This is the best mob history that I have read.--Robert A. Santucci, Esq., former Chief of the Rackets Bureau, Office of the District Attorney of Bronx County and Special Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York - Public Corruption Unit Jeffrey Sussman has given us a thoroughly researched true-crime book that entertains the reader with information from both a historical and human perspective. The little known information and insights he provides makes this work a unique, wonderful experience for those with an interest in the New York City mob scene. Great job!--Anthony Celano, retired NYPD Detective Squad Commander and author of The Case of Two in the Trunk Jeffrey Sussman has written the next essential book on the Mob in New York. His impeccable sources embody a who's who of experts in mafia history and lore.... If there were a Hall of Fame for mafia giants, Big Apple Gangsters, The Rise and Fall of the Mob in New York, could serve as a guidebook for visitors. It is a must read for anyone who is fascinated by the secret society we know as the American Mafia. Bravo!--Michael F. Vecchione, Chief of the Rackets Division (Ret.), Brooklyn District Attorney's Office and author of Crooked Brooklyn: Taking Down Corrupt Judges, Dirty Politicians, Killers, and Body Snatchers This book provides a most accurate, well documented history of the inception and origin of organized crime in New York. It contains the extraordinary rendition of the emergence of underworld figures and vivid descriptions in extraordinary prose in describing the soldiers and rising godfathers and their activities.--S. M. Chris Franzblau, former federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney for alleged organized crime figures and professional boxers This incisive survey of New York City gangsters from Sussman first focuses on Arnold Rothstein, the father of organized crime and the man who fixed the 1919 World Series. The kingpin of the Jewish mob, Rothstein mentored such gangsters as Meyer Lansky and Ben Siegel (who hated the nickname "Bugsy"). In the chapter on Dutch Schultz, Sussman mentions he had a bootlegger great-uncle who was indicted but never tried for the murder of another bootlegger. Schultz really did off one of his enemies by giving him cement shoes and dumping him in the East River. The book dispels myths such as that the Mafia wasn't into drugs while reaffirming the claim that the FBI did employ mobsters as informants from time to time. The final chapter outlines the decline of the old-time bosses at the hands of late-20th-century prosecutors using the Racketeering Influenced and Corruption Organizations (RICO) Act. The introduction, in which the author tells of his own family's mob encounters and connections, is alone worth the price of admission. This is perfect for Godfather fans.-- "Publishers Weekly"
